Both Marvel and DC have introduced ridiculously overpowered characters over the years. Some can destroy planets, some can wipe out entire universes, and a select few have the potential to obliterate all realities at once. But who among them could actually pull it off? In this article, we will dive into the most powerful beings from both universes, compare their abilities, and see if any character truly has what it takes to erase everything.
Understanding the Scale of Power
Before we start throwing around names, let’s get one thing straight there are different levels of power in comics. Not every powerful character is capable of destroying the entire multiverse.
At the lowest level, you have characters who are planet-busters. These are beings like Superman, Thor, or the Hulk. They are insanely strong, but they are not taking out an entire universe anytime soon.
Next, we have cosmic beings who can destroy entire planets or even galaxies, like Galactus or Darkseid. They are a step above, but they still have limits.
Then you have universal-level threats like the Anti-Monitor or Franklin Richards. These guys have the power to wipe out or reshape entire universes.
Beyond that, you get to the multiversal level. This includes beings like The Living Tribunal in Marvel or Perpetua in DC. They exist on a scale far beyond individual universes and can manipulate multiple realities at once.
And finally, at the absolute top, you have omniversal beings—those who can destroy everything. These are the rarest and most powerful entities in comics, and today, we are going to see who among them can truly end all existence.
Marvel Characters Who Can Destroy All Universes
Now that we have an idea of just how big the power scale gets in comics, let’s take a deep dive into the Marvel characters who actually have the ability to destroy all universes. These are not just your typical world-ending villains or galaxy-level threats. These are the entities who, if they really wanted to, could erase everything—every dimension, every timeline, every version of reality—leaving absolutely nothing behind.
And no, we are not talking about Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet. As powerful as he was in Infinity Gauntlet (1991), his power was still limited to his own universe. We are talking about beings who could go far beyond that.
1. The One Above All (TOAA)
First Appearance: Sensational Spider-Man #0 (1996)
If we are discussing beings who can destroy all universes, there is no one higher than The One Above All. TOAA is Marvel’s equivalent of God—literally the supreme creator of everything in the Marvel Multiverse. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, meaning he knows everything, exists everywhere, and can do anything.
Why He Can Destroy All Universes:
- He created the Marvel Multiverse, meaning he can erase it if he chooses.
- He is above all cosmic entities, including The Living Tribunal.
- In Fantastic Four #511 (2004), he appears to Reed Richards and confirms his status as the supreme being.
TOAA is rarely seen in Marvel Comics because, well, what would be the point? He is beyond all conflicts. The only time he interferes is to remind characters like Reed Richards or Thanos that no matter how powerful they think they are, they are still beneath him. If he ever wanted to destroy everything, he could do it effortlessly.
2. The Beyonders
First Appearance: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1 (1984)
The Beyonders are a race of godlike beings who exist outside the multiverse. Unlike most cosmic entities, they are not bound by time or space. They are so powerful that they do not just manipulate reality—they break it entirely.
Why They Can Destroy All Universes:
- They wiped out the entire Marvel Multiverse in Secret Wars (2015).
- They are responsible for killing The Living Tribunal in New Avengers #30 (2015).
- They destroyed entire timelines as part of their "experiments" on reality.
In Secret Wars (2015), Doctor Doom had to steal their power just to hold reality together. The fact that they were able to eliminate The Living Tribunal—the being responsible for maintaining balance across the multiverse—proves just how terrifyingly powerful they are. If they ever wanted to end everything, there is nothing that could stop them.
3. The Living Tribunal
First Appearance: Strange Tales #157 (1967)
The Living Tribunal is the second most powerful being in Marvel, right below The One Above All. He exists to maintain balance across the multiverse, ensuring that no single force becomes too powerful. If he ever decided that existence itself was a problem, he has the power to end it.
Why He Can Destroy All Universes:
- He governs and protects the multiverse, meaning he has authority over all universes.
- In Infinity Gauntlet #5 (1991), even Thanos with the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet acknowledged that The Living Tribunal was above him.
- In Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #31 (1989), he erased an entire universe just to restore balance.
Although The Living Tribunal does not usually destroy realities, he absolutely can if he deems it necessary. If someone or something was threatening the entire multiverse in a way he could not contain, he could simply erase everything and start over.
4. Molecule Man (Owen Reece)
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #20 (1963)
At first glance, Molecule Man might not seem like he belongs on this list. But in reality, he is one of the most dangerous beings in Marvel Comics. His ability to control molecules is not just limited to a single universe—his power is multiversal.
Why He Can Destroy All Universes:
- In Secret Wars (2015), his power was the key to rebuilding the multiverse.
- In Avengers #267 (1986), he was able to manipulate time and space across realities.
- He was created by the Beyonders as a failsafe to destroy the multiverse if necessary.
In Secret Wars (2015), it was revealed that every version of Molecule Man across the multiverse was connected. If enough of them were killed, reality itself would collapse. His power was so great that Doctor Doom used him to absorb the Beyonders’ energy and reshape existence. If he ever lost control or wanted to erase everything, there would be nothing left.
5. Thanos with the Heart of the Universe
First Appearance: Marvel: The End #1 (2003)
Most people know Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet, but there is another version of him that is even more terrifying—Thanos with the Heart of the Universe. This artifact gave him power far beyond the Gauntlet, allowing him to surpass even The Living Tribunal.
Why He Can Destroy All Universes:
- In Marvel: The End (2003), he absorbed the entire Marvel multiverse.
- He killed The Living Tribunal and every other cosmic entity.
- He became the universe itself and had the power to erase all existence.
In Marvel: The End, Thanos realized that the only way to "fix" the universe was to destroy it completely. He wiped out everything—gods, planets, alternate realities—until he was the only thing left. If he had not willingly restored existence, Marvel Comics would have ended right there.
6. The Scarlet Witch (House of M Era)
First Appearance: X-Men #4 (1964) (First major multiversal feat: House of M #7, 2005)
Wanda Maximoff might not seem like she belongs on this list, but after House of M (2005), it is clear that she has the potential to be one of the most dangerous beings in Marvel. With her reality-warping abilities, she was able to rewrite the entire Marvel Universe with just three words: "No more mutants."
Why She Can Destroy All Universes:
- In House of M #7 (2005), she rewrote reality on a universal scale.
- In Avengers: Disassembled (2004), she nearly destroyed the Avengers with raw chaos magic.
- If her powers spiraled out of control, she could erase all existence.
While she has not destroyed all universes yet, the potential is there. She is a ticking time bomb, and if she ever lost control, she could erase everything without even realizing it.
DC Characters Who Can Destroy All Universes
Now that we have tackled Marvel’s reality-breaking powerhouses, it is time to dive into DC Comics—the home of cosmic gods, god-killers, and some of the most terrifying beings in all of fiction. DC’s multiverse is vast, with different timelines, alternate realities, and higher-dimensional realms stacked on top of each other. And as you might expect, there are a handful of characters who have the power to not just destroy one universe, but all of them.
In this section, we will look at DC’s most powerful beings—those who could erase every reality, every timeline, and every possibility of existence itself. If you thought Marvel’s gods were overpowered, just wait until you see what DC has to offer.
1. The Presence
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #52 (1940) (First identified as The Presence in Spectre Vol. 3 #1, 1992)
Let’s start at the very top. The Presence is DC’s equivalent of God—the ultimate creator of all existence. Every universe, every multiverse, every cosmic entity, and even concepts like time and space exist because of The Presence. If anyone in DC has the power to erase everything, it is him.
Why He Can Destroy All Universes:
- He is the supreme being, meaning he is above all cosmic forces.
- In Lucifer #75 (2006), he steps aside and allows Lucifer to reshape creation, showing that he has ultimate control over existence.
- He has the power to grant, revoke, and even rewrite omnipotence, as seen in The Sandman and The Spectre comics.
The Presence rarely interferes in DC’s events, but when he does, it is on a cosmic level. He has the power to end everything with a single thought, but like The One Above All in Marvel, he is more of a creator than a destroyer.
2. The Great Darkness
First Appearance: Swamp Thing Vol. 2 #49 (1986) (First major feat: The Great Darkness Saga, 1982)
The Great Darkness is the embodiment of pure nothingness—before creation, before light, before reality itself. It is the opposite of The Presence, and its goal is simple: to consume all existence and return everything to darkness.
Why It Can Destroy All Universes:
- It predates the multiverse, meaning it exists outside of all reality.
- In Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 (2022), it took control of powerful cosmic beings, including the Empty Hand and the Upside-Down Man.
- In The Great Darkness Saga (1982), it nearly consumed the 30th century, proving it has multiversal influence.
Unlike The Presence, The Great Darkness is actively trying to end all universes. It does not just want to erase a few worlds—it wants to unmake everything that has ever existed.
3. The Anti-Monitor
First Appearance: Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 (1985)
If you know anything about DC Comics, you have probably heard of the Anti-Monitor. He is the ultimate multiversal destroyer, responsible for one of the most devastating events in comic history—Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Why He Can Destroy All Universes:
- In Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985), he erased the original DC Multiverse.
- His anti-matter energy can consume entire universes, as shown in Crisis on Infinite Earths #4.
- In Sinestro Corps War (2007), he returned as a major cosmic force, proving that he is nearly unstoppable.
The Anti-Monitor was so powerful that the only way the heroes could stop him in Crisis on Infinite Earths was by rebooting reality itself. That is next-level destruction.
4. Perpetua
First Appearance: Justice League Vol. 4 #8 (2018)
Perpetua is one of the most recent additions to DC’s cosmic hierarchy, but do not let that fool you—she is one of the most terrifying beings in the multiverse. As the creator of the current DC Multiverse, she exists on a scale beyond almost everyone else.
Why She Can Destroy All Universes:
- She created the multiverse, meaning she can unmake it.
- In Justice League #39 (2020), she reshaped reality into a "Doom" multiverse.
- In Dark Nights: Death Metal (2020), it took the combined power of Wonder Woman and the Hands of Creation to defeat her.
Perpetua wanted to reshape existence into her own vision of chaos and destruction. If she had succeeded, there would have been nothing left of the original multiverse.
5. The Empty Hand
First Appearance: The Multiversity #2 (2015)
The Empty Hand is one of the most mysterious and dangerous entities in DC Comics. He is the leader of The Gentry, a group of beings who consume entire realities, leaving nothing behind. He is also heavily implied to be the representation of the real-world reader, meaning he is a literal meta-level threat.
Why He Can Destroy All Universes:
- In The Multiversity #2 (2015), he destroyed Earth-7 and consumed its energy.
- He is the "hand" of a higher, unknown force, suggesting he serves something even worse.
- He left behind his "Empty Box," which implied he could return and consume more realities.
The Empty Hand is basically a walking reset button. If he wanted, he could erase all existence just to tell a new story.
6. Mandrakk, the Dark Monitor
First Appearance: Superman Beyond 3D #1 (2008)
Mandrakk is not just a villain—he is a concept. He represents the corruption of the DC Multiverse, a Monitor who fell into darkness and now exists only to consume.
Why He Can Destroy All Universes:
- In Final Crisis: Superman Beyond (2008), he nearly devoured the multiverse.
- He exists beyond narrative, meaning he can attack stories themselves.
- Only the power of Superman wielding the Thought Robot was enough to stop him.
Mandrakk is essentially a cosmic vampire, feeding on existence itself. If left unchecked, he would consume everything.
Comparing Marvel and DC’s Universe-Destroying Beings
Alright, we have looked at some of the most overpowered characters in both Marvel and DC—beings who can erase entire universes as if they were just sketches on a piece of paper. But now, let’s take things a step further. How do these cosmic heavyweights compare? Is Marvel more overpowered than DC, or does DC take the crown when it comes to universe-destroying madness? Let’s break it down.
Power Levels and Hierarchy
One of the biggest differences between Marvel and DC’s most powerful beings is how they are structured. In Marvel, the cosmic hierarchy is pretty well-defined. You have The One Above All at the very top, followed by cosmic abstracts like The Living Tribunal, Beyonders, and Molecule Man. Then, below them, you get the high-tier reality-warpers like Franklin Richards, Protege, and The Phoenix Force. Most Marvel characters follow some kind of hierarchy, meaning there is usually someone above them.
In DC, things are a bit more flexible. The Presence is the supposed top-tier being, but DC also has The Great Darkness, which is its opposite, and then characters like The Anti-Monitor, Perpetua, and Mandrakk, who are all capable of wiping out universes. The issue is that DC sometimes treats its cosmic beings as story-driven rather than fitting into a strict hierarchy. For example, The Presence rarely intervenes, and some characters, like The Empty Hand, exist on a meta level beyond the story itself.
Destructive Feats
When it comes to raw destruction, both universes have their fair share of crazy moments.
- Marvel’s Anti-Feats: The Beyonders managed to wipe out every cosmic entity in Marvel during New Avengers (2015). Meanwhile, The Living Tribunal, the second most powerful being in Marvel, was killed during this event. That is like killing off all the gods at once.
- DC’s Anti-Feats: The Anti-Monitor literally erased the entire DC Multiverse in Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985), forcing reality to be rewritten. Meanwhile, Perpetua reshaped reality into a Doom-based universe in Justice League #39 (2020).
Both universes have massive-scale destruction, but DC often leans toward crisis events where reality is rewritten, whereas Marvel tends to go for cosmic war scenarios where gods and entities battle for control.
Which Universe Has the Bigger Threats?
If we are talking about beings that can destroy all of existence, DC might have the edge. Why? Because some of their most powerful entities, like The Great Darkness and The Empty Hand, threaten existence on a level that goes beyond just universes—they can erase the very concept of reality itself.
That said, Marvel’s Beyonders did wipe out everything at one point, so the battle is close. But if we are talking about raw narrative destruction, DC’s threats tend to operate on a level where they can literally end the story itself, while Marvel’s biggest threats usually come from insane power levels and cosmic wars.
Has Any Character Ever Wiped Out Both Marvel and DC Universes?
Now, here’s the big question: Has any character actually destroyed both the Marvel and DC Universes? The short answer is... not exactly. But there have been some insane crossovers that came dangerously close.
The Amalgam Universe (Marvel vs. DC, 1996)
One of the biggest events in comic book history was the Marvel vs. DC crossover in 1996. In this story, two cosmic beings representing the Marvel and DC Universes—the Brothers—became aware of each other’s existence. They fought to determine which universe would survive, and the battle led to the merging of both universes into the Amalgam Universe, where characters were combined (e.g., Batman and Wolverine became Dark Claw, Superman and Captain America became Super Soldier).
For a short time, both the Marvel and DC Universes technically ceased to exist. However, this was not permanent, and eventually, the universes were restored. But still, for a brief moment, the Amalgam Universe was the only reality.
Access – The Key to Both Universes
Another character who holds a unique place in both Marvel and DC is Access. Introduced in DC vs. Marvel #1 (1996), Access has the ability to move between both universes and even merge characters between them. If he ever lost control of his power, it is possible he could destroy both universes at once. However, Access is more of a guardian than a destroyer, so he has never actually done it.
Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe... and Almost More
In Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe (2012), Deadpool goes on a rampage, slaughtering every Marvel hero and villain. This was followed by Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again (2017) and Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe #3 (2023). But the craziest part? Deadpool eventually realizes he is in a comic and threatens to kill the writers themselves, implying he could erase Marvel from existence.
Now, here’s where it gets wild: At the end of Deadpool Killustrated (2013), he hints at going after characters outside Marvel, meaning he could potentially invade DC as well. While this has never fully happened, it is one of the closest times a character has threatened both universes.
The Real Answer: Editorial Decisions
At the end of the day, the only entity that has truly erased both the Marvel and DC Universes is... the real-world editorial team.
- DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) rebooted its entire multiverse.
- Marvel’s Secret Wars (2015) destroyed the entire Marvel Multiverse and rebooted reality.
Both universes have been completely wiped out at some point, but it was not due to a character within the story—it was the real-world writers deciding to reset everything. In a way, the true omnipotent beings of Marvel and DC are the editors and creators behind the comics.
Final Thoughts
So, has anyone actually destroyed both Marvel and DC at the same time? Not permanently. The closest we have seen is the Amalgam Universe, where both universes merged, and Deadpool hinting at going beyond Marvel. But at the end of the day, the only thing that can truly erase both universes is a creative decision from the publishers themselves. That said, if one day DC and Marvel decide to do a final crossover where one villain wipes out everything, then we might get an official answer. Until then, these powerhouses will continue existing in their separate universes, with fans debating which one is truly the most powerful.
0 Comments